Child trafficking statistics

Global trafficking statistics

An estimated 50 million people were living in situations of modern slavery on any given day in 2021, according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. Of these people, approximately 27.6 million were in forced labour and 22 million were in forced marriage.

Walk Free Foundation, Global Slavery Index, 2021

More than 12 million of all people in modern slavery are children, and women and girls account for over half of them (54%).

Walk Free Foundation, Global Slavery Index, 2021

UK trafficking statistics

A total of 8,156 referrals were made to the National Referral Mechanism reporting exploitation entirely within the UK between October 2023 and September 2024.

National Crime Agency, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, 2025

A total of 4,415 referrals [to the National Referral Mechanism] were for UK nationals, and in 58% of referrals, the potential victim reported exploitation as a child.

National Crime Agency, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, 2025

79% of referrals [to the National Referral Mechanism] of UK nationals involve potential victim reporting having been exploited when under 18.

National Crime Agency, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, 2025

Latest

Joint response to the King's Speech announcement of reforms to the modern slavery framework

Following the announcement In the King's Speech that the new Immigration and Asylum Bill will include reforms to the modern slavery legislative framework, leading organisations and experts warn the government that it cannot end human trafficking and modern slavery without a safeguarding-first response to all victims and survivors that shifts the balance of risk decisively onto traffickers
Child Trafficking Survivors Warn: Government Proposals Will Put Vulnerable Children at Risk

The ECPAT UK Youth Advisory Group has issued a strong response to the King’s Speech with the announcement of a new Immigration and Asylum Bill as part of the government’s ongoing plans to reform the asylum and immigration system. The group raises the alarm about the impact on child victims of trafficking of major changes which will make identification and protection of victims harder.
An Overview of Child Trafficking, Modern Slavery & Exploitation

This online course provides a detailed overview of child trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation in the UK, supporting practitioners to identify and effectively safeguard child victims.
ECPAT UK welcomes GRETA’s Fourth Evaluation Report and urges Government to act on urgent child‑specific recommendations

ECPAT UK welcomes the publication of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) Fourth Evaluation Round report on the United Kingdom, which delivers urgent and detailed child‑focused recommendations for the United Kingdom. GRETA’s report draws significantly on ECPAT UK’s research, reflecting our long‑standing evidence of systemic failures in the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation.

What is child trafficking?
Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
National Referral Mechanism

The National Referral Mechanism is a process set up by the Government to identify and support victims of trafficking in the UK. It was born out of the Government's obligation to identify victims under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking, which came into force on 1 February 2008.
Volunteer

ECPAT UK relies on committed volunteers to support the work that we do. Without their help, we would not be able to campaign as effectively against child exploitation.
The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

The Secret Gardeners aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organised crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalisation and prison.
Our team

ECPAT UK's team has more than 30 years' experience working on issues of child trafficking, child protection, child sexual exploitation, unaccompanied children, modern slavery and more.
About us

ECPAT UK is a leading children's rights organisation working to protect children from child trafficking and transnational child exploitation. We support children everywhere to uphold their rights and to live a life free from abuse and exploitation.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. The UK signed the Convention on 19 April 1990, ratified it on 16 December 1991 and it came into force on 15 January 1992.
Contact us

If you have an immediate concern about a child's welfare, please contact your local council's social care department, who are available 24 hours a day. For all other enquiries related to our work, contact [email protected] or call 020 7607 2136.
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto (including the Palermo Protocol)

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto is the main international legal instrument in the fight against transnational organised crime, including human trafficking.

More than Words: how definitions impact on the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation

This report highlights how overlaps and gaps in terminology, and how they have created confusion and definitional instabilitythat hinders effective identification and intervention. These inconsistencies impact frontline practice, from safeguarding to policing and prosecution, resulting in missed opportunities to protect children from harm. Read more

ECPAT UK welcomes GRETA’s Fourth Evaluation Report and urges Government to act on urgent child‑specific recommendations

ECPAT UK welcomes the publication of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) Fourth Evaluation Round report on the United Kingdom, which delivers urgent and detailed child‑focused recommendations for the United Kingdom. GRETA’s report draws significantly on ECPAT UK’s research, reflecting our long‑standing evidence of systemic failures in the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation. Read more